Pakistan

PEMRA slaps Rs1m fine on Geo News for ‘institutional corruption’ comments against Pak Army

Media watchdog also imposes 7-day suspension on Starlite TV channel for airing objectionable content

News Desk October 03, 2017

SCREENGRAB

The country’s top media watchdog has slapped a fine of Rs1 million on Geo News for airing comments against the Pakistan Army.

The decision was taken during the 134th meeting of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) held at its headquarters in Islamabad on Tuesday.

According to a statement, the regulatory authority approved Councils of Complaints (CoCs) Karachi and Lahore recommendations of a fine of Rs1 million on Geo News for airing comments against the armed forces in connection with "institutional corruption" during its TV show Aapas ki Baat on January 9, 17, 24 and 25.

پیمرا اتھارٹی کا 134 واں اجلاس: جیو نیوز پر 10 لاکھ روپے جرمانہ؛ سٹار لائٹ کی نشریات ایک ہفتے کیلئے معطل pic.twitter.com/sg4tkXSpYr
— Report PEMRA (@reportpemra) October 3, 2017

The media watchdog had received a large number of complaints against the TV programmes.

Pemra on the recommendations of the Personal Hearing Committee also suspended landing rights permission to the private TV channel Starlite for seven days for airing obscene and vulgar content on June 13.

COMMENTS (5)

salman | 7 years ago | Reply They have been doing it since Hamid Mir's episode.

Basit | 7 years ago | Reply @Nadeem: The armies of all the countries you mention are also rewarded by jobs, appointments, contracts, free tuition, discounts etc. It is the norm in every country to reward those who make sacrifices.

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ABHISHEK BHARTI | 7 years ago | Reply What happened to freedom of expression. If such kind of power is going to be exercised, then how will there be hope?

tuk | 7 years ago | Reply January shows are being fined now!! Way to go so efficient PEMRA!

Nadeem | 7 years ago | Reply The Geo guys should not have used the expression "institutional corruption" for legally awarding several plots to generals ( one for each promotion ). They should not have used this expression for building a business empire comprising real estate, banks, cement manufacturing, logistics, transportation, fertilizer business, cereals, and highway construction. Geo should have used some other expression such as 'just rewards for rendering sacrifices for the country'. ( Of course, since the armies of USA, UK, France, China, Israel, India, Germany, etc do not render sacrifices, their countries don't reward them. Simple. )

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